Safety trace-holder.



J. B. LEVY.

SAFETY TBAOEIHOLDEB. I APPLICATION 1mm) APBJB. 1008'.

982,835. Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

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JAMES B. LEVY, OF URSINA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY TRACE-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

Application filed April 29, 1908. Serial N 0. 429,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James B. LEVY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ursina, in the county of Somerset, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Trace-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to trace holders, and it has for its object to provide a device of this nature which may be made at a very low cost, and which may be secured to a swingle tree in such position as to absolutely prevent 'the trace from slipping from the end of the swingle tree, the structure also providing a retainer for the free end of the trace that often projects rearwardly beyond the swingle tree.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one end portion of a swingle tree with a trace engaged therewith, the present invention being in use, Fig. 2 is a front elcvation of the trace holder removed from the swingle tree.

My improved trace holder comprises an arm disposed on the front side of the swingletree and provided with an eye at its outer end to receive a trace and also comprises a loop which extends to the rear side of the swingletree at an angle to the said arm and which is capable of angular movement with respect to the arm and is spring pressed to engage the rear end of the trace and clamp the same against the rear side of the swingletree.

Referring now to the drawings, the present trace holder is formed of a wire which is bent mid-way of its ends to form the rectangular eye 5, the sides of the wire being brought together at one side of the eye and twisted to form the neck 6, beyond which the sides of the wire are continued divergingly, and are then each bent to form a short helix 7 and 8 respectively, beyond which the sides of the wire are continued at an obtuse angle to the divergent portions above referred to, and in parallel relation, and are then brought toward each other and stopped end to end within a sleeve 10. A similar sleeve 1) is disposed upon the outer side portion of the eye of the device. The helices above referred to, are in axial alinement, and are designed to receive a retaining bolt 12 provided with a nut. The said arm is formed by the eye 5 next which is the neck 6, and divergent sides, the loop being formed by the end portions ofthe wire which extend rearwardly of the swingletree, the helices which connect the sides of the loop to the sides of the arm forming spring connection between the loop and arm, admitting of angular movement of the loop with respect to the arm so that when the eye of the arm is engaged by the trace the said loop is spring pressed against the rear end of the trace and serves to bend the same against the rear side of the swingletree. In use, this retainer or holder is disposed with its eye in position to receive the trace 13 in advance of the swingle tree 14 with which the trace is engaged. The twisted neck portion of the arm of the holder extends along the front face of the swingle tree, and the divergent portions of the sides of the wire embrace the swingle tree, with the helices disposed one above and the other below the swiugle tree. The retaining bolt is passed through the helices and through a corresponding perforation in the swinglc tree and thus serves to hold the device securely in position while permitting of a pivotal movement to some degree.

The sides of the wire beyond the securing bolt, pass respectively above and below the swingle tree and beyond it, the sleeve 10 being in spaced relation to the rear face of the swingle tree.

The eye of the holder, is disposed slightly inwardly from the end of the swingle tree as illustrated, so that the outer side of the eye prevents movement of the trace along the swinglc tree in the direction of its extremity.

As illustrated, that portion of the trace extending rcarwardly beyond the swinglc tree. is bent laterally and passed through the loop at the rear of the device, this rear end portion of the trace being confined by the sleeve on the loop, and between it and the rear face of the swingle tree.

From the above description it will be seen that there is provided an article that is not only ellicient in its operation, but is so formed as to permit it to be manu'l'm-tured at an extremely low price.

\Vhat is claimed is:

The-herein described trace holder compristree, said arm comprising an eye for the reception of the trace, a twisted portion at the inner side of the eye, divergent side portions to lie respectively on the upper and lower sides of the swingletree, the side portions of the loop and said sides of the arm lying angularly with respect to one another and being united by helices formed in the said wire, said helices receiving a pivoted element to pivotelly mount the holder on the swingletree and also serving to act as springs to press the intermediate portion of the loop 15 toward the rear side or" the swingletree when the eye of the arm is engaged by a trace.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES B. LEVY.

Witnesses i P. l/V. LEVY, ANNA R. LEVY. 

